Her + His Car Reviews
2017 Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve Truck
There are two sides to everything, right? To keep our car reviews innovative and interesting, we provide an animated, insightful, detailed and sometimes uncouth two points of view on the same car from - Her + His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| $56,595 | Price as tested: $56,595 |
| Performance | |
| It was truck month at Women-Drivers as we had numerous testers. The Nissan Titan's V8 engine provided seamless acceleration from the stop, the mud, to the country road. We thoroughly enjoyed the handling, braking and evenly distributed responsiveness in taking corners. This massive 390 horsepower truck delivers just under 2,000 pounds of towing capacity. We took the vehicle off road and it performed admirably in 20" of mud and slush. No problems in start up or reverse. Maneuverability in these conditions and turning was exceptional. |
Here's the shocker: The Titan, actually a pretty huge truck, is quite nimble on its feet, thanks to a 5.6 liter, 390 horsepower V-8 that produces 394 lb.-ft. of torque. The acceleration is quite brisk for a large truck, and the steering felt silky smooth. I had absolutely no problem getting around traffic or passing any car.. Cornering was quite stable and reassuring, as was handling. I was favorably impressed with how this model handled itself. I consider it to be above the Ford F-150 and on a par with the silky smooth GMC and Chevy Silverado pickup trucks. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| 15 city; 21 highway and 18 mpg overall. Also available in diesel. | 18 overall, 15 city and 21 highway. You will spend $3,250 more in fuel costs over five years, compared to other new vehicles, and it takes 5,6 gallons of gas to drive 100 miles. |
| The Vehicle | |
| The Titan delivers a whole new level of Premium. The plush, leather, very adjustable seats were lovely. The dash and all the buttons and controls are centrally located. Why is this important? For a 5' frame, jumping into this large space, it is critical that every aspect is centrally located. I didn't have to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out to reach for this or that. Bravo and well done, #Nissan. Close to 1 in 5 women are buying trucks, so this is a prime suspect! Also on the interior is the Intelligent Climate Control which adjust the temperature. On cold days the system adjusts air flow to warm up the cabin defrost window and the windshield and even turn on the heated steering wheel and outside mirror. On hot days, the Remote Start Engine cools the car before getting in. The overarching concern with this model is the sticker. As in shock. Most industry experts are aligned in asserting that at this price point Nissan, while having a viable product, has put itself at the stratosphere, and not the highest towing capacity. The rap is it's not a value-add for most consumers. The warranty sure helps to give those same consumers pause, as it is pretty aggressive and beats most competitors hands down [see below]. |
To be honest I was prepared to dislike the Titan. Last year we had a much "truckier" heavy duty Nissan Titan XD diesel powered pickup which rode roughly, handled clumsily, and the Cummins Diesel engine was pretty noisy. But this Titan Platinum Reserve version was smooth as silk, easy to drive--until you have to park the big steed!--was quiet as a church mouse inside and out, and just plain was a wonderful traveling companion. What a difference a year makes! It had some issues though. The Bluetooth was tough to hook up and we never seemed to be able to get it synced right with the cellphone. Parking is... a chore, and that is to put it mildly. It simply isn't made for driving in big cities. And the interior aesthetics? Well... more on that later. |
| Safety | |
| Driver Air Bag, Passenger Air Bag, Side + Rear Head Air Bag, Side and Rear Air Bag. Passenger Air Bag On/Off Switch, Push Button Start, Emergency Trunk Release, Rollover Protection System. Four Wheel ABS, Brake Assist, Night Vision, Integrated Turn Signal Mirrors, Rollover Protection System, Front + Rear Tow Hooks. Electronic Stability Control, Child Safety Locks, Adjustable Pedals and Steering Wheel. Traction Control. Blind Spot Monitor. Lane Departure Warning. |
Driver & Front Passenger, Side Impact and Curtain air bags, four wheel anti lock brakes, vehicle dynamic control, electronic brake force distribution, tire pressure monitoring kit, a vehicle immobilizer system, and blind spot warning, with rear cross traffic alert. |
| Technology | |
| The Platinum is loaded out. We had a time driving, indeed. 20" wheels got us through the mud and the much. Parking Sensors helped navigate the parallel parking which took more that 3 turns. Park Assist Camera and 360 degree parking camera. Power folding mirrors. The Rockford Fosgate sound system and 12 speakers certainly reverberated the music coming from Sirius XM, etc. The Towing Convenience Package included mirrors, trailer brakes and tow hooks for anyone buying the rear wheel drive version. Also the boxes for storage and Bilstein shocks. |
Our test model, the ritzy, top of the line Platinum Reserve, starts with the equipment provided on the SL so let's tell you what that includes. The SL has 20-inch wheels, power-folding mirrors with puddle lamps, running boards, a power-sliding rear window, LED cargo box lighting, a Utili-Track bed rail system with four movable tie-down cleats, remote engine start, front and rear parking sensors, a power-adjustable steering wheel, driver memory functions, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a four-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, leather upholstery, a Rockford Fosgate 12-speaker audio system, a 120-volt outlet located inside the bed and the NissanConnect Services emergency telematics features suite. Now then. The Platinum Reserve adds on top of that unique wheels, dark chrome exterior trim, a 360-degree parking camera, upgraded leather upholstery, chrome and wood interior accents, a heated steering wheel with wood inserts, ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. It also handles heated and cooled front seats, eight way power driver eat with power adjustable lumbar support, leather appointed heated steering wheel, remote engine start, trailer light check function, trailer brake controller, Rockford Fosgate audio system, Nissan Connect with navigation, and a host of other items. You can order several utility and luxury packages on lower level Titans if the Platinum Reserve sounds a bit too expensive. These include the SL Towing Convenience package (tow mirrors, a trailer brake controller and front tow hooks for rear-wheel-drive models), the SV and SL's Chrome package (20-inch chrome wheels, chrome exhaust tips and a chrome grille) and the Platinum Reserve's Bed Utility package (in-bed "Titan Box" storage bins, a remote locking tailgate and a bed utility step). The Platinum Reserve can also be ordered with a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and an Off-Road package with the Pro-4X's 18-inch alloys, all-terrain tires and Bilstein shocks. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| The exterior is very attractive and the chrome and muscular look to it gives it a very Ford F-150 'esque' appearance. Nonetheless, the Titan certainly stands on its own merit. The attractive chrome with wood trim, front seats that are ventilated as well as heated. We appreciated the heated steering wheel - and its adjustability, and, ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. Smart Interior layout on the Platinum makes a difference and it has a generous amount of space. Move the shift lever which creates even more room. In-bed storage boxes for tools, coolers, sports equipment, or portable cargo, etc. |
It certainly is imposing looking, and quite attractive. But if you can tell the Titan from the Ford F-150 you are a better observer than we are. From front to back, it looks like a overly blinged out Ford pickup... I think someone tried too hard, and they need to dial it back and give this deserving truck some styling of its own. Meanwhile, the look of the top of the line interior is dated and ugly, with the leather using rows of squares that just don't "get it." It's far behind what top of the line Ford, Chevy and even Dodge luxury truck owners are offered by those brands. |
| Warranty | |
| 5 years, 100,000 bumper to bumper- includes Powertrain | 5 years, 100,000 bumper to bumper |
